Protective device

ABSTRACT

An energy absorbing device suitable for wearing by humans, or for use in a prosthetic device or robot is provided. The device including support structures which may conform to the contours of limbs, and have the capability of being removeably attached to the limbs. Plates are attached, either fixedly or slideably, to the support structures and adjacent ends of plates may be joined with a flexible link. As the limbs flex at a joint, the slideably attached plate slides to accommodate the rotational motion between the limbs at the joint.

This application is a continuation of U.S. application Ser. No.11/263,104, filed on Oct. 31, 2005 now U.S. Pat. No. 7,941,867 whichclaims the benefit of priority to U.S. provisional application No.60/629,574, which was filed on Nov. 19, 2004.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This application relates to providing protection to the human body or anapparatus from external forces, and in particular with respect toarticulated portions thereof.

BACKGROUND

In sports, in performing manual labor, and in military operations,injuries to both soft tissue and bone may occur due to impact forces.Other injuries may result form repetitive pressure on a body part, suchas occurs when kneeling. Systems for providing plates to absorb orspread such forces are known and are used. However, while affording suchprotection, they are uncomfortable to wear, often shift location withrepeated flexing, may require additional exertion to bend, and may limitthe range of motion to less that of which a human can reasonably performwithout injury.

SUMMARY

A wearable protective device is disclosed which permits articulatedmovement with minimal additional muscular effort. The device includesone or more sleeves adapted so as to be fitted to a body part, such as aleg, arm or torso. A first plate is fixedly attached to the sleeve, anda second plate is adapted to be slideably attached to the sleeve. Thefirst plate and the second plate may communicate with each other by ahinge or link so that the distance between the first plate and thesecond plate is substantially fixed, while the angle between theprincipal planes of the first plate and the second plate may bevariable. The sleeve may be comprised of one or more segments, which maybe formed integrally with each other, or as separated pieces.

Plates not slideably attached to the sleeve may be permanently attachedto a sleeve by riveting, by adhesives, by sewing, or other similarprocess. In another aspect, plates may be non-permanently attached tothe sleeves by using VELCRO, DUALLOCK, or similar materials.

The slideably attached second plate may be mounted such that the secondplate has an engaging shape on a side facing the sleeve, which mateswith a captivating shape in a plate slide member such that the slideableplate may slide substantially linearly in a direction parallel to thesurface of the sleeve and along the body part. The plate slide membermay be either permanently or non-permanently mounted to the sleeve, bymethods as described above. In addition, the slide plate member may beformed such that it is part of the sleeve or captivated by the sleeve.The positions of the captivating member and the engaging shape may beinterchanged.

The link connecting the first and second plates may be a strap,ligature, hinge or other means of connecting adjacent ends of the firstand second plates which permits the first and second plates to rotateangularly with respect to each other about an axis, the axis beingapproximately parallel to the intersection of planes passing through thefirst and second plates, such that the relative motion of the first andsecond plates approximates that of a hinge. Herein, the term “hinge” isused to represent the link or other flexible connection between adjacentends of plates. The link may be able to push or pull the plates apart,approximately maintaining the distance of the gap and may be flexibleenough to bend through a range bending angles.

Plates having a slideable mounting arrangement to a plate slide memberwill be referred to as “slideable” plates, and plates whose mounting isnot slideable will be referred to as “fixed” plates. “Fixed” isdistinguished from the terms “permanent” and “non-permanent” mounting asused herein, the latter terms referring to the ability to attach anddetach a plate from the sleeve or the plate slide member from the sleeveor a plate slide member or another plate, regardless of whether theplate be slideable or fixed with respect to motion.

There may be more than one fixed plate, and more than one slideableplate, and more than one of each type of plate may be mounted to asleeve. The sleeves may be either substantially in the form of acylinder such that the device may be slid onto body or limb, or the sideor a portion of the side approximately opposite to the plates may beomitted and a strap or other means provided for fastening the device tothe user. Alternatively, the sleeve may be incorporated into, orattached to, clothing or a suspender belt so as to transfer some of theapparatus weight to the body. The sleeves may be secured to the limb byhaving elastic properties, by straps having self-adhering properties, bybuckles, or the like.

Each plate for the fixed and slideable plates, and plate slide member,may be shaped and formed and dimensioned such that it conformsapproximately to the shape of the body part to which it is applied bythe sleeve and attachment arrangement.

In another aspect, the attachment of the plates to the plate slidemember, or to the sleeve may be configured such that the application ofsufficient force in a direction other than substantially orthogonal tothe plate surface may cause the plate to detach from the sleeve or theplate slide member, or the plate slide member to detach from the sleeve.

A fixed plate may be disposed between two slideable plates, such thateach of the slideable plates may slide and rotate with respect to thefixed plate when a body part joint is flexed, the fixed plate remainingin a substantially fixed position with respect to a kneecap or an elbow.Each slideable plate may be joined to the adjacent fixed plate with ahinge.

The plates may be formed of an impact resistant material, may be coveredin whole or in part by a flexible or resilient material, and may containa core of energy absorbing material.

The sleeve may be a composite or layered structure, including a stretchor high strength material or fabric, and may include a foam or otherimpact absorbing structure, including a gel, memory foam, energyresistant laminate and the like, disposed between the fixed plate, theslideable plate, or the plate slide member and the user. The sleeve maybe constructed so that some of the areas have differing energy absorbingand stretching and flexing properties depending on the specific use. Oneor more straps, buckles or other fastening part is attached to, orformed integrally with, the sleeve and disposed so that the strap,buckle or other fastening part may be used to secure the sleeve to thelimb or other body part. The sleeve may also be attached to an articleof clothing.

Although the description herein may use the words body, limb, user andthe like, which are terms normally relating to a human, the device maybe equally used by other primates, horses or other animals, in roboticdevices, and in prosthetic devices.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A illustrates a side view of a fixed plate and a slideable platewith a limb in a substantially straight state, where the plate slidemember is permanently attached to the sleeve;

FIG. 1B illustrates a side view of the fixed plate and the slideableplate with the limb in a flexed state;

FIG. 2A illustrates a side view of a sleeve conformable to a limb;

FIG. 2B illustrates a cross-section view of the sleeve and the limb atline B-B of FIG. 2A;

FIG. 2C illustrates a side view of an example of non-permanentattachment of plate slide members to the sleeve;

FIG. 2D illustrates a side view of an example of a captivating grooveformed in each of the plate slide members;

FIG. 2E illustrates a side view of an example of a protrusion from theslideable plate (not shown) engaged in the captivating groove for thestate where the limb is substantially straight, and attachment strapsfor applying the apparatus to the limb;

FIG. 2F illustrates a side view of slideable plates captivated by plateslide members, and a fixed plate non-permanently attached to the sleevewith self-adhesive strips;

FIG. 2G illustrates a side view of an example of the slideable platesconnected to the fixed plate with hinges;

FIG. 2H illustrates a frontal view of assembly of FIG. 2G;

FIG. 3A illustrates a frontal view of the slide plate and plate slidemember of FIG. 2G;

FIG. 3B illustrates a cross-sectional view of an example of captivatingthe slideable plate to the plate slide member;

FIG. 3C illustrates a cross-sectional view of another example ofcaptivating the slideable plate to the plate slide member;

FIG. 4A illustrates a cross-sectional view of yet another example ofcaptivating the slideable plate to the plate slide member;

FIG. 4B illustrates a detailed cross-sectional view of the arrangementof FIG. 4A;

FIG. 5A illustrates a cross-sectional view of still another example ofcaptivating the slideable plate to the plate slide member, showing aspring return mechanism and a means for adjusting the relationship ofthe slideable plate and the plate slide member;

FIG. 5B illustrates a longitudinal cross-section along line B-B of FIG.5A;

FIG. 6A illustrates a detail of FIG. 2H including a hinge for connectinga fixed plate and a slideable plate;

FIG. 6B illustrates a longitudinal cross-section along line B-B of FIG.6A;

FIG. 7A illustrates a frontal view of an example of a hinge joining twoplates, in the form of a strap or bar;

FIG. 7B illustrates a longitudinal cross-section along line B-B of FIG.7A;

FIG. 8A illustrates another example of a hinge joining two plates, whichincludes a bar which may exhibit rigidity disposed on journals;

FIG. 8B illustrates a longitudinal cross section along lime B-B of FIG.8A;

FIG. 9A illustrates a side view of the apparatus attached to a limb,where the limb is in a straight state;

FIG. 9B illustrates the arrangement of FIG. 9A, where the limb is in apartially bent state;

FIG. 9C illustrates the arrangement of FIG. 9A, where the limb is in asubstantially fully bent state;

FIG. 10A illustrates a detail of a slideable plate portion of theapparatus, where an auxiliary plate is disposed so as to maintain thecoverage of a sleeve portion, shown when the limb is in a substantiallystraight state and the slideable plate and the auxiliary plate overlap;

FIG. 10B is a cross-section view along line B-B of the arrangement ofFIG. 10A.

FIG. 10C illustrates the assembly of FIG. 10A where the limb is in asubstantially fully bent state, and the slideable plate and theauxiliary plate have moved with respect to each other;

FIG. 10D is a cross-section view along line D-D of the arrangement ofFIG. 10C; and

FIG. 11 illustrates a portion of an exoskeleton, where the plate slidemember plate is journalled about an axis substantially corresponding tothe fulcrum of the joint.

FIG. 12 illustrates the actuation of a hinge by hydraulic forcers.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Exemplary embodiments may be better understood with reference to thedrawings, but these embodiments are not intended to be of a limitingnature. Like numbered elements in the same or different drawings performequivalent functions. When a specific feature, structure, orcharacteristic is described in connection with an embodiment, it will beunderstood that one skilled in the art may effect such feature,structure, or characteristic in connection with other embodiments,whether or not explicitly stated herein.

In a first example, illustrated in FIG. 1A, a side view of the apparatusillustrates the arrangement of plates (fixed 12, and slideable 14), aplate slide member 16, a sleeve 10, a hinge 22 and a portion of a strap20, where the limb to which the apparatus is to be attached is in astraightened state. The limb may be a leg, an ankle, or an arm, with thefixed member 12 positioned over the flexing portion of the joint.Another slideable plate 14 may be positioned on the end of the fixedplate 12 opposite to the first sliding plate 14.

Sleeve 10 is shown as underlying the plate slide member 16 and the fixedplate 12, and the slideable plate 14 positioned over the plate slidemember 16. The fixed plate 12 may be dimensioned and shaped such that itconforms to a body part such as a kneecap or elbow to be protected, andremains substantially in position with respect to the kneecap or elbowwhen a limb is flexed. The slideable plate 14 is dimensioned and shapedsuch that it conforms to a body part such as a long bone, shin or otherbody part to be protected, and may be adapted to be slideably attachedto a plate slide member 16. Similarly, the plate slide member 16 may bedimensioned and shaped to conform to the same body part as the slideableplate 14, and adapted to slideably receive the corresponding slideableplate 14. The plate slide member 16 is permanently or temporarilyattached to the sleeve 10. Similarly, the fixed plate 12 is permanentlyor temporarily attached to the sleeve 10. As shown, the plate slidemember 16 is fixed to the sleeve 10 by rivets 18; however otherattachment means, which may be either temporary or permanent, may beused, such as VELCRO or adhesive. Alternatively, the fixed plate 12 orthe plate slide member 16 may be attached to the sleeve by providing anaperture or a pocket in the surface of the sleeve such that a portion ofthe fixed plate 12 or plate slide member 16 may be inserted therein. Thefixed plate 12 or the plate slide member may be retained by the methodspreviously described, or by the elasticity of the outer surface materialof the sleeve 10, or by sewing or the like.

The fixed 12 and slideable 14 plates are joined by a hinge 22, such thatadjacent ends of the fixed 12 and slideable 14 plates are connected sothat they may flex in a hinge-like manner. More than one slideable plate14 may be connected to a single fixed plate 12, and slideable plates maybe hingeably connected to slideable plates.

FIG. 1B illustrates the apparatus shown in FIG. 1A in a state where thejoint of a limb, or body part to which it has been attached, has beenflexed. The hinge 22 maintains substantially the same distance betweenadjacent ends of the fixed 12 and slideable 14 plates which it joins;however, the angle between the principal planes of the two platesbecomes an acute angle, and the slideable plate 14 translates withrespect to the slide plate member 16 and the sleeve 10, so as toaccommodate this angular rotation. This translation may be seen bycomparing the left hand end of the slideable plate 14 in FIGS. 1A and 1Bwith the left hand end of the sleeve 10.

The sleeve 10 may be either a portion of the surface of a cylinder asshown, or a complete cylinder, and the diameter of the cylinder may varysuch that it approximately conforms to the shape of the body part towhich it is intended to be attached. Alternatively, the sleeve 10 may beshaped to provide an underlying means of support to the plates 12, 14,16 and attachment to the limb or body part by straps, by incorporationin an article of clothing or the like. The sleeve 10 may have differentsizes, shapes and physical characteristics depending on the applicationand the type of protection desired. The sleeve may be made of stretchfabric, such as COOLMAX or perforated LYCRA (available from Invista,Wichita, Kans.), meshes, straps or bands, with open weave materials,neoprene or stretchable plastic, or a fabric chosen for strength, suchas ballistic nylon. The surface of the sleeve may be continuous orperforated with holes of various sizes to increase ventilation. Anenergy absorbing material may be incorporated into the sleeve either asa surface layer or as a layer contained between two layers and locatedin the interior of the sleeve.

In the aspect where the sleeve is substantially a portion of acylindrical shape, one or more straps 20 or other fastening device areprovided to fasten the sleeve 10 to a body part. The straps may be madeof ballistic nylon, plastic, stretchable fabric or the like, and mayhave adhering surfaces attached thereto or incorporated therein and bedisposed such that complimentary adhering surfaces or self-adheringsurfaces are each on straps connected to opposing sides of the sleeve.The straps 20 can be overlapped to secure the sleeve to the body part.Alternatively a loop may be attached to one side of the sleeve and astrap to the other side of the sleeve, such that the strap may bethreaded through the loop, tightened manually and folded back on itselfto secure the sleeve to the body part. Fastening materials may be VELCRO(available from VELCRO USA, Manchester, N.H.), DUALLOCK (available from3M, St. Paul, Minn.), or the like. Other fastening methods may be usedsuch as luggage snaps, where one or more of the mating components may beattached directly to sleeve or a plate. The sleeves may be separate, maybe a single piece, multiple pieces joined together, or multiple separatepieces.

For use by humans, an adjustable fastening may be employed toaccommodate the range of sizes of individuals. However when used inrobotics, prosthetics and the like, a fixed mounting arrangement may beused and the plates or the plate slides may be mounted directly to astructural element, using structural attachments such as bolts, rivets,adhesive or the like, and the sleeve may be omitted. The arrangement maybe incorporated in a prosthetic device.

The construction of the sleeve 10 is dependent on the type of protectiondesired, comfort considerations and economics. An energy absorbingmaterial may be applied to the surface of the sleeve opposite to that ofthe body part or opposite a plate, or incorporated into the sleevestructure as an interlayer between outer sleeve layers. The energyabsorbing material may be a gel, energy absorbing foam, memory foam,BROCK foam (available from Brock USA, Boulder, Colo.) or the like, andmay serve to attenuate the energy transmitted from the plates to thebody part. Additionally, the combination of the shape of the plates andthe energy absorbing material may cooperate to distribute thetransmitted force over a larger area than the input area, reducing theforce per unit area being applied to the body part. In another aspect,the effect of the energy absorbing material may be to reduce the rate ofapplication of energy with respect to the input rate.

The fixed 12 and slideable 14 plates may be constructed of energyabsorbing or fracture resistant material, or a combination of bothtypes. Plates may be molded to approximately conform to the shape of thebody part to be protected. The plates may be a solid structure made ofpolyethelene, impact resistant plastic such as polycarbonate,polycarbonate or polypropylene resins which may impregnate a KEVLARfabric (DuPont, Wilmington Del.), glass, carbon or boron, or similarfiber, a ceramic with an Ace backing laminate (available fromAce/Security Laminates, Ottawa, ON, Canada) or be a centrally disposedenergy absorbing material of the same or similar types surrounded by adurable outer surface. Alternatively, all or part of the fixed 12 orslideable plates 14 may be made of a metal such as titanium or steel, orthe like.

Where the fixed plate 12 is intended to be fixed to the sleeve 10, aside of the plate facing the sleeve may have a VELCRO or similarmaterial affixed, with corresponding material affixed to the sleeve 10so that pressing the plate 12 onto the sleeve will result in retentionof the plate 12 in a fixed position with respect to the sleeve 10. Thearea to which the VELCRO is affixed is chosen in accordance with thedesired strength of adhesion of the plate to the sleeve. The adhesionstrength may be chosen such that the sleeve and plate are securelyjoined in normal use, but the sleeve and plate may be separated by theapplication of a force which may be injurious to the wearer, forexample, by causing twisting of the limbs. Alternatively, the plate maybe joined to the sleeve with rivets, adhesive or the like.

FIGS. 2A-H show a protective apparatus comprised of three plates, two ofwhich are slideable, and which may be dimensioned such that theapparatus may be used for the protection of a bendable limb such as anarm or a leg. In this example, a leg exemplifies the body limb. FIG. 2Ashows sleeve 10 shaped to approximately conform to the knee region ofthe leg, so as to protect the limb from predominantly frontal impact.The reliefs 60 a, b in the sleeve 10 correspond to areas which will besubstantially flexed or stretched when the joint is bent, and will lieapproximately underneath the hinges 22 joining the plates. The sleevemay be formed of a multilayer assembly including an interior portionwhich may be a foam 60 or other energy absorbing or spreading material.Foam 60 may be covered with a fabric 64 or other material for protectionas shown in FIG. 2B, to form the sleeve 10 having surfaces to whichother elements of the apparatus, such as straps attachment points, andplate slide members can be attached, and to provide a suitable surfaceto contact a body part 62. The materials may be selected to have someporosity such that the sweat may transpire.

The plate slide members 16 may be attached to the sleeve 10 usingself-adhering material 66 such as VELCRO or DUALLOCK, applied to facingsurfaces of the plate slide members 16 and the sleeve 10 as shown inFIG. 2C. By placing the attachment points 66 between the plate slidemembers 16 and the sleeve 10 at points distal from the flexing portionof the apparatus, a larger distance of the sleeve is permitted tostretch when the joint is bent, thus reducing the force required.Alternatively, the position of each of the attachment points can beselected to achieve a desired resistance to stretching. When plate slidemembers 16 are attached with a self-adhesive material, the applicationof a sufficient force in directions other than from substantiallyfrontal impact may result in detaching the self-adhesive materialportions which would contribute to reducing torsional forces on thelimb. The plate slide members 16 are provided with a portion 68 adaptedto interface with the slideable plates 14. In FIG. 2D, the portion 68 isshown as a channel, however the portion 68 may be a protrusion. Whethera protrusion or a channel, the portion 68 is dimensioned such that acaptivation structure is formed between the plate slide member 16 and aslideable plate 14. The portion 68 may extend for either part of thelength of the plate slide member 14, or to one or both of the ends ofthe plate slide member 14.

FIG. 2E shows the assembly with straps 20 for attaching the apparatus tothe limb 62 attached to the sleeve 10. The straps may be a continuationof a surface 64 of the sleeve 10, or be sewn or attached by rivets orother fasteners to the sleeve. Also shown is a further detail of theplate slide member portion. The length of the portion 68 may be greaterthan that of a corresponding mating portion 70 of the slideable plate14, which is a part of, or attached to, the slideable plate 14. Forclarity, only the mating portion 70 of the slideable plate 14 is shownin FIG. 2E, positioned corresponding to an un-flexed state of the leg.The length of the portion 68 may be greater than that of the portion 70by a distance 68 a, representing at least the distance that theslideable plate 14 is permitted to slide when the joint is in a fullyflexed state.

FIG. 2F shows the assembly with the slideable plates 14 and a fixedplate 12 in a captivated position, and with the limb in a straightstate. Also illustrated is the attachment of the fixed plate 12 to thesleeve 10 using a plurality of adhesive or self-adhesive pads 66. Thecombination of the sleeve 10 and the straps 20 tends to hold the fixedpad 12 in position over the joint both in the straight state and in theflexed state. FIG. 2G shows an outer side view of the assembly 1, wherethe slideable plates 14 are joined to the fixed plate 12 by hinges 22 orother similar flexible or bendable elements.

FIG. 2H is a front view of the apparatus 1 applied to a leg, where theleg is in a straight state. The hinges 22 join the slideable plates 14to the fixed plate 12. In this example the hinge 22 may be over-moldedon the plates. It may also be attached by rivets, screws, or adhesive,through holes made in the plates, by mechanical interlocking, or thelike. The hinge 22 may also have extensions 22 a onto the surface of theslideable plate 14 and the fixed plate 12 to both increase theattachment strength and to form part of a cushioned kneeling platformwhen the limb is flexed, and the shin portion is in contact with theground or other surface. Such extensions 22 a may also serve to flattena portion of the contact area between the slideable plate and the groundso as to increase the stability of a wearer when in a kneeling position.The connections between the portions of the hinge 22 on each of theslideable plate 14 and the fixed plate 12 may be one or more flexiblestrips or straps so as to minimize the force needed to bend theapparatus in the region between adjacent ends of plates. In anotheraspect, a strengthening material such as KEVLAR may be laminated intothe hinge 22 for reinforcement and to limit the stretching of the hingewhile preserving flexibility for bending.

The attachment of the slideable plate 14 to the plate slide member 16may be accomplished by a variety of sliding joints, an example of whichis shown in FIG. 3. In FIG. 3A, a plan view of a slip joint is shownviewing from the upper surface of the slideable plate 14. FIG. 3B showsa cross-section of the joint at section B-B. The slideable plate 14 maybe molded to have a protrusion 70 extending from the underside thereofas an engaging structure, where the protrusion 70 has the form of atrapezoid or similar shape, and the plate slide member 16 has acomplementary-shaped recess 68 to accommodate and captivate theprotrusion 70. The same cross-sectional shapes may extend along theportion of the slideable plate 14 and plate slide member 16 or only apart thereof. When the recess 68 does not extend for the full length ofthe plate, the recess 68 is sufficiently long such that the protrusion70 may slide for a distance along the recess 68 to accommodate theflexing of the limb. In an aspect where the recess 68 extends so that itreaches the end of the slide plate member 16 distal from the hinge 22,the protrusion 70 may be permitted to extend past the end of the slideplate member 16 when the leg is in a straight state, and in thiscircumstance, the length of the recess 68 need only be long enough suchthat the slide plate 14 may slide towards the hinge 22 when the limb isflexed.

The plate slide member 16 and the slideable plate 14 are shaped so as tosubstantially conform to the shape of the limb 62, and while the FIG. 3may show a cross-sectional symmetry about a center line, the shape ofthe plate slide member 16 and the slideable plate 14 may be somewhatasymmetrical with respect to the center line, or along the length of theelements; however, the protrusion 70 and the accommodating recess 68 aresubstantially symmetrical with respect to the center line such that theslideable plate 14 may translate along its length with respect to theplate slide member 16. To the extent that the protrusion 70 and therecess 68 are not symmetrical with respect to the center line, each ofthe structures should have a substantially identical radius of curvatureso that the slideable plate 14 may slide with respect to the slide platemember 16.

As shown in FIG. 3B, the radius of curvature of the slideable member 14and the plate slide member 16 for facing surfaces thereof may be suchthat a clearance between the slideable plate 14 and the plate slidemember 16 exists along substantially the entire overlap portion (exceptfor the protrusion 70 and recess area 68). The radius of curvature ofthe slideable member 14 may be less than that that of the plate slidemember 16 so that the gap between the two decreases as the distance fromthe captivating region increases, and the slideable plate 14 and theplate slide member 16 may be permitted to touch near the outer edgesthereof. Such a configuration may act to reduce the amount of dust anddirt that may be able to intrude between the two plates. Other shapeshaving similar effect are possible. Ridges 17 or bumps disposed asridges, or distributed on the surface of either the slideable plate 14or the slide plate member 16 may be used to reduce the contact areabetween the two plates when the plates are displaced to contact eachother by an external force.

The captivating connection 36 between the engaging structure and thecaptivating structure is dimensioned such that the slideable plate 14and the plate slide member 16 may slide freely with respect to eachother along the length of each part, while retaining the parts togetherin a direction perpendicular to the slideable plate 14. The slidabilitymay be improved by the application of low friction coatings orlubricants.

While the protrusions 70 have been shown on the sliding member 14 andthe recesses 68 on the plate slide member 16, the configuration may beinterchanged in whole or in part with equal effect as shown in FIG. 3C.

The materials and dimensions of the protrusion 70 and the recess 68 maybe selected such that the application of a force substantiallyperpendicular to the sliding connection and parallel to the to thesurface of the sliding plate (shown by the arrow labeled FORCE in FIG.3C) which may be sufficient to cause physical injury to the wearer,results in the separation of the sliding plate 14 from the plate slidemember 16. This separation may be effected either in a manner whichpermits the plate to be re-engaged with the slide member, or whereeither the plate or slide member is damaged in the process ofseparation.

In another example of the captivation of the slideable plate 14 and theplate slide member 16, shown in FIG. 4A, the captivation region 36includes a plurality of protrusions 70 and a corresponding plurality ofrecesses 68 disposed such that the recesses 68 and the protrusions 70may engage to captivate the slide plate 14 to the plate slide member 16.Engagement of the protrusions and the recesses may require the flexingof the protrusions and may require the flexing of the side walls of therecesses. Details of the captivation region 36 are shown in FIG. 4B,where additional structures 38 are disposed approximately symmetricallyto the protrusions 70, and extend into the gap between the slide plate14 and the plate slide member 16. A flexible extension of the structure38, in the form of a flap 38 a, is dimensioned such that itapproximately closes the gap, and serves to limit the access of dust andother contaminants to the region 36 in which the captivation occurs. Thestructure 38 may be molded as part of the slide plate 14, or beseparately applied with an adhesive or the like, and may of the samematerial as the surface of the slide plate 14 or another flexiblematerial. Alternatively, the structure 38 may be attached to the plateslide member 16 and extend towards the slide plate 14. The structure 38may also be sized and positioned such that sufficient pressureorthogonal to the surface of the slideable plate 14 causes contactbetween an inner surface of the slideable plate 14 and an opposingsurface of the plate slide member or the structures 38, thus restrictingthe sliding motion that can be imparted by external forces.Alternatively, such a material may be inserted between opposing portionsof the protrusions 70 and the recesses 68. The interface material 38 maybe arranged either continuously or in one or more segments along thelength of the assembly depending on the clearances, the flexibility ofthe slideable plate and the plate slide member, and the degree ofresistance to external sliding forces desired.

In FIGS. 3 and 4, the slideable plate 14 may be urged to move withrespect to the plate slide member 16 by a force applied along the lengththereof through the hinge 22 as the limb joint is flexed. The change inangular relationship between the plates (that is a fixed plate 12 and aslideable plate 14, or between two slideable plates 14) results in aforce directed at least along the length of the protrusion 70, causingthe slideable plate 14 to move slideably with respect to the plate slidemember 16. The slideable plate 14 will have moved a maximum amount withrespect to the plate slide member 16 when the limb has been flexed suchthat a minimum acute angle has been reached. When the limb is returnedto a straight position, the force of gravity or a force imparted by thehinge 22 tends to return the slideable plate 14 to a position withrespect to the plate slide member 16 which previously obtained when thelimb was in a straight state.

Alternatively, the slideable plate 14 may be urged to return to thisposition by a spring. In an example, shown in FIG. 5A, the protrusion 70is formed by a separate piece, although it can be integral to theslideable plate 14. The protrusion 70 is attached to the slideable plate14 by one or more screws 72, and the protrusion 70 has holes 74 formedlongitudinally therein. FIG. 5B shows a cross-section at line B-B whichis approximately the centerline of the assembly. The protrusion 70 isaffixed to the slideable plate 14 by screws 72. In an aspect, more thanthe required number of mating holes 80 are provided in the protrusion70, spaced such that the protrusion 70 may be fixed at one of aplurality of locations along the centerline of the assembly, so as toprovide for an adjustment of the position of the slideable plate 14 withrespect to the slide plate 16. Each of the longitudinal holes 74 issized so as to as to receive a spring 76, filling a depth between an end84 of the channel 68 and a narrowing 86 of the longitudinal hole 74. Thespring 76 may be fitted over a mandrel 78 disposed between the end 84and extending into a further extension 82 of the hole 74, or some othermeans of supporting the ends of the mandrel 76. The mandrel 76 has theeffect of supporting the spring 78 so that the spring 78 does not buckleunder pressure. The slideable movement of the slideable plate 14 withrespect to the plate slide member 16 has the effect of compressing thespring 78 as the protrusion 70 moves towards the end 84 of the channel68. This creates a restoring force which tends to urge the slide plate14 to return to the position shown in FIG. 5B when the limb isstraightened. Other means of urging the slideable plate 14 to return toa desired position with respect to the plate slide member 16 may be usedincluding an air spring, or a pneumatic cylinder.

Where the term “center line” is used, it is understood to mean a lineapproximately longitudinally disposed with respect to a limb, andapproximately equidistant from the edges of a slideable plate in adirection transverse to the direction of motion thereof. An exactcenterline in a linear sense is not implied as the shapes of the plates,the plate slide member, and the sleeve may have some asymmetry in orderto conform to the shape and orientation of the various portions of thelimb.

The slideable plate 14 and the fixed plate 12 are joined together by astrap, hinge, ligature, torsion element or the like so that the relativedistance between adjacent ends thereof is substantially fixed, while theangular relationship of the adjacent plates may vary. An example of ajoint with a hinge is shown in FIG. 6A. In this example, a fixed plate12 and a slideable plate 14, or two slideable plates, is joined by ahinge element 22. One or more slots 44 are formed in the plates and theplates 12, 14 are separated by a distance D. A flexible material 46 isover-molded on the plates 12, 14 so as to fill the area between theadjacent ends of the plates 12, 14, and may cover all or part of theplate area between the plate end and the slot 44, and connect throughthe slots 44, as shown in FIG. 6B, which is a cross section of the jointat line B-B, so that the upper and lower surfaces of each plate are eachpartially contained in the volume formed by the molded flexiblematerial. In this example, when the joint bends, the portion of theflexible material 46 disposed between the adjacent ends of the platesflexes to permit two plates to rotate with respect to each other andaccommodate the motion of the joint. The flexible material 46 mayencapsulate a strengthening material such as KEVLAR, which may be usedto increase the durability of the joint, or to reduce stretching, whichwould have the effect of permitting the distance D between the plates14, 12 to increase.

FIGS. 7A, B and FIGS. 8A, B show alternative versions of a hingeconnection between the plates. From these examples, it may be understoodthat a hinge is meant to represent any connection between two plateshaving the property that the plates are joined together with asubstantially fixed distance between adjacent ends; that the connectedplates may rotate with respect to each other to transform from asubstantially straight alignment to an alignment where an acute orobtuse angle is formed therebetween. Such an arrangement is not meant topreclude some angular motion about an axis orthogonal to the principalaxis of rotation, such that the apparatus may twist to a limited extent.In the example of FIG. 8, it may be seen that this hinge property can beobtained by a member 88 which may be rigid or flexible with one or morepins 90, disposed such that the member 88 is journaled by the pin orpins 90. In another aspect, the rigid member 88 may be fixedly attachedto, or formed integrally with, a plate.

The angular rotation permitted may be greatest about an axis that isperpendicular to the direction of sliding of the slideable plate andparallel to the surface of the plate. This corresponds to thearticulation of, for example, a knee or elbow joint. Rotation of theplates about an axis orthogonal to the first axis also may be permittedto accommodate rotational motion of the joint.

As shown in FIG. 2H, the two plates may be over-molded with a flexiblematerial on all or part of the surfaces of the fixed 12 or slideable 14plates such that a web connection is made between the two plates. Suchover-molding may be performed where the plates are also connected with astrap or ligature or hinge. The hinge may be as single piece molded froma flexible material such as thermoplastic elastomers or silicon rubber,or the plates may be connected by a conventional hinge made from metalor plastic.

The operation of the apparatus when applied to a leg 62 is shown in aside view, in FIG. 9. FIG. 9A shows the leg with the joint in anun-flexed state. An upper slideable plate 14 b and a lower slideableplate 14 a are each joined to a fixed plate 12 with hinges 22. The fixedplate 12 is disposed such that it is positioned over the kneecap whenthe apparatus is in position and the leg is approximately straight.Straps 20 hold the apparatus in position with respect to the leg 62.Each of the slideable plates 14 is attached to the fixed plate by ahinge 22. The underlying plate slide member 16 for each of the slideableplates 14 a, b is not shown in this figure. When the knee is partiallybent as shown in FIG. 9B, the slideable plates 14 a, b have been rotatedangularly with respect to each other to conform to the motion of thelimb. To accommodate this angular rotation, the slideable plates 14 movelongitudinally (that is, slide parallel to) with respect to the legportions to which they are attached, by sliding with respect to theplate slides members 16. This may be seen by comparing the relationshipof the slideable plates 14 a, b to the upper 10 b and lower 10 a ends ofthe sleeve 10. FIG. 9C illustrates the knee joint in a substantiallyfully bent position, and it may be seen that the slideable plates 14 a,b have continued to translate with respect to the sleeve ends 10 a, b sothat the angular relationship between the slideable plates 14 a, bconforms to that established by the bent limb. The fixed plate 12remains in position above the kneecap, such that an impact directly onthe kneecap will be absorbed by the fixed plate 12.

The protection device is shown as being applied to a knee; however otherjoints such as the elbow or ankle may be similarly protected. An upperslideable plate and a lower slideable plate are each connected to afixed plate disposed therebetween, such that the adjacent end of each ofthe slideable plates is connected to the fixed plate. The upper and thelower slideable plates are attached to upper and slide platesrespectively. The upper and lower sleeve may have straps or other meansof fastening the sleeves to the limbs or other body part. A centralsleeve disposed between the upper and lower sleeves may be provided forthe fixed plate.

In another aspect, one or more sleeves may be joined together orfabricated with at least one common layer to approximately maintain thepositioning and spacing of the slideable plates. The common layer ormaterial joining the sleeves may be selected so as to have an elasticproperty such that the material stretches easily when the joint is bent,reducing the effort necessary to bend the joint. Alternatively, thesleeve may be partially cut transverse to the limb, or some of thelayers cut, or the material be designed to stretch in a portion joiningtwo sleeves. Joining the sleeves may orient the apparatus 1 with respectto the limb, and positions the slideable members so that the device maybe applied to the limb rapidly. The spacing between the adjacent ends ofthe plates when the device is detached from the limb is selected so asto assist in the orientation of the device with respect to the limb fora representative user when applying the device to the limb.Alternatively, the apparatus may be adapted to meet ergonomicrequirements such as by the means shown in FIG. 5, where the position ofthe slideable plate 14 with respect to the plate slide member 16 may beadjusted by means of the placement of the attachment screws 72.

In another aspect, the size, construction and attachment of the platesis varied depending on the expected end use, and to accommodate thespecific requirements of the design, such as area to be protected,expected impact force parameters, including force direction and timeprofile, durability, maintainability and ergonomic factors. Similarly,the means of attachment of the plates to the sleeve is selected tofacilitate the use of the device for each specific intended purpose.More than one attachment means may be suitable for each intended use andmay be selected to suit the preference of the user.

In this manner, it may be seen that the fixed and slideable plates andthe associated impact absorbing aspects of the sleeve permit the jointto flex, where the force necessary to move the parts of the apparatus ismainly to overcome frictional forces between the slideable plates andthe plate slide member. The friction may be minimized by appropriatesizing of the engaging and captivating structures, and the length andshape thereof, the selection of materials, and the use of surfacecoatings. Where sleeves are individually associated with each connectedplate, the sleeves may move rotationally with the limb motion, withoutadditional force input. When the sleeves are connected to each other asshown in FIG. 2, some additional force may be necessary at some point inthe joint motion to stretch the material joining adjacent portions ofthe sleeves; however as the material joining the portions of the sleevesmay be made to yield with little force, such additional force can beminimized.

The sliding of the slideable plates 14 with respect to the sleeve 10shown, for example, in FIG. 9 is seen to expose some of the sleeve 10such that an impact may be transmitted directly to the sleeve 10 withoutan intervening plate 12, 14. Depending on the specific application, sucha situation may be permissible. However in applications where this maybe undesirable, an auxiliary plate 102 may be disposed in the exposedarea, sized and located such that the slideable plate 14 slides over orunder the auxiliary plate 102, as required. FIG. 10A shows such aconfiguration in a partial view of one slideable plate 14 and oneauxiliary plate 102, when the joint is in an un-flexed state. Theauxiliary plate 102 may be a fixed plate 12, or another plate having nohinge connection to another plate. As shown, the auxiliary plate 102 isfixed to the sleeve 10 by one or more fasteners 104, which may berivets, bolts, patches of self-adhesive material or the like.Alternatively the auxiliary plate 102 may be captivated between an outercovering 64 of the sleeve 10 and an energy absorbing interior 60. Theoverlapping plates may be arranged in a complimentary manner to preservea low thickness profile while maintaining a continuous protectivesurface. In another aspect, the auxiliary plate 102 may be omitted bylengthening the slide plate 16 beyond the end of the slideable plate 14,or by extending the slideable plate 14 beyond the end of the slide plate16. In another aspect the auxiliary plates 102 may be used incircumstances where a small bend angle is required.

Auxiliary plates may be attached to the same sleeve as a movable plate.FIGS. 10C, D shows the arrangement of FIGS. 10A, B in the state wherethe joint has been flexed. The slideable plate 14 has moved with respectto the plate slide member 16 so as to translate towards the hinge end.As shown, a small gap G is opened between the adjacent ends of theauxiliary plate 102 and the slideable plate 14, however, the parts maybe dimensioned so that a gap does not form, or that a larger gap forms,depending on the application.

This apparatus may also be used to protect an elbow, other body part orother part of a prosthetic device. Such a device may include additionalfixed or movable plates as required by the use. A space may be providedbetween the fixed and slideable plates for all or some of the flexurepositions, or portions of fixed or slideable plates may be overlapped.The combination of a fixed and a slideable plate or two slideable platesmay be disposed so as to provide continuous protection as the joint isflexed.

In another aspect the device may be sized and arranged to provideprotection for other body parts where flexibility is desired, such asthe torso. A combination of fixed, auxiliary and slideable plates, ormultiple slideable plates, may be arranged to perform the same functionsas for the bendable joints while minimizing the force needed toaccommodate the body movements. In yet another aspect, another group ofplates may be applied to the opposite side of a limb so as to protectthe back side of a joint, as in body armor. In this aspect, more thanone grouping of fixed, slideable and auxiliary plates may be associatedwith the sleeve.

In a further example, the apparatus may be used to form an exoskeletonfor a robotic device either acting autonomously or being used to aid inthe motion or support of a limb, in whole or in part. FIG. 11 shows anassembly which may be used to support a limb 62. The general arrangementis similar to that in FIG. 2, and only significant differences arediscussed where the view shown in FIG. 11 corresponds to FIG. 2E. Plateslide members 112 are fixedly attached to sleeve 10, and have extensionstowards each other which overlap and are joined by a journal or pivot114. The opposite side of the limb has a similar arrangement, such thatan imaginary axis joining the journals 114 corresponds to the axis aboutwhich the joint is intended to flex. Slideable plates 14, as shown inFIG. 2F may be captivated by the plate slide members 112, and a fixedplate 12 disposed above the knee cap and between the adjacent ends ofthe slideable plates 14. In this example, the fixed plate 12 may befixedly attached to the sleeve 10, or merely lie above the sleeve 10,being held in place by the slideable plates 14 and the hinges 22. Thespring system 76, 78 may be replaced with hydraulic actuators which urgethe translation of the slideable plate with respect to the plate slideassembly and thus transmit a force through the hinge 22 to the fixedplate 12. Although hydraulic actuators are described, the terminology isintended to encompass any linear actuator, which may be a linear motoror the like.

Additionally, the rotation of the hinge may be guided or assisted by ahydraulic actuator 120, acting in coordination with the hydraulicactuators used to urge the translation of the slideable plate. Thehydraulic actuators 120 may be mounted to either the slideable plate 14(as shown in FIG. 12), the slide plate 16 or an auxiliary plate. A leverarm 122 may be affixed to the hinge 124 so that the hydraulic actuators120 may cause the hinge 124 to rotate about an axis 90. In anotheralternative, a stepper motor or other rotary actuator may be used inplace of the hydraulic actuators 120, and the lever arm 122 may beomitted. The rotary actuator may be incorporated into the hinge.

In another aspect, where the exoskeleton is used in a robot, the slideplate members 112 may be fixedly attached to, or formed as part of,structural members having, for example, a function similar to long bonesin a limb, and the slide plate members joined by a journal or pivot 114.The pivots 114 on either side of the joint may be joined by a solid axel(not shown). In such a circumstance, the fixed plate 12 may also beconnected to the solid axel by a structure substantially perpendicularto the solid axel and the fixed plate 12.

The device has been described where the relative movement of thecomponents is accomplished with minimal applied force. However, thedevice may also be designed to limit the extent of movement of a limb inorder to prevent injury. For example, the plates and sleeves may besized such that an interference fit between plates may occur when a limbis bent back beyond a straight position as would occur in ahyperextension situation. Interference fits between adjacent plates mayalso be used to assist in returning the sliding plates to an appropriateposition after a joint has been straightened.

Distributing the external force through the sleeves may prevent orreduce the injury. The rotation of upper and lower limbs of a joint maysimilarly be restrained by the torsional properties of the hinge betweenthe plates such that a limit is placed on the permitted relativerotation of adjacent plates, providing protection similar to the bendingprotection.

Although the descriptions and examples have mainly discussed theapplication to protection of humans, the plates and the connectionstherebetween and the methods of mounting the plates may be used equallyin such situations as the adapting of prosthetic devices to have morehuman attributes, and to protect the mechanisms thereof, as well as toform the exoskeleton of a robotic device, in whole or in part. In suchapplications, fixed plates may be mounted directly to a support memberin a permanent or non-permanent manner, with or without the use of asleeve. Similarly, the slide member associated with a slideable platemay also be attached directly to a support member. Sleeves may be usedas well and afford both cosmetic appeal and prevent the entry of dirt,dust or fluids into the mechanisms.

Although only a few exemplary embodiments of this invention have beendescribed in detail above, those skilled in the art will readilyappreciate that many modifications are possible in the exemplaryembodiments without materially departing from the novel teachings andadvantages of the invention. Accordingly, all such modifications areintended to be included within the scope of this invention as defined inthe following claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. An apparatus, comprising: a first plate, asecond plate and a third plate, at least two of the first, the second orthe third plate connected by a journal; a first slide plate and a secondslide plate, slideably attachable to the first plate and the secondplate, respectively; wherein the first slide plate and the second slideplate are each connectable to the third plate by a hinge or flexurelocated at a portion of each of the first and second slide plateproximal to the third plate.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein atleast the first and the second plates are attached to a flexible sleeve.3. The device according to claim 1, where the flexible sleeve iscomprised of a material which is conformable to a human body part. 4.The device according to claim 1, wherein the flexible sleeve is aplurality of sleeves.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the flexiblesleeve is approximately a portion of a conical section.
 6. The deviceaccording to claim 1, wherein the first plate and the second plate aresized and shaped to approximately conform to the shape of a human bodypart.
 7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the second plateincludes an engaging structure for slideably mating with a complimentarymating structure on the second slide plate.
 8. The device of claim 1,wherein the first plate is attachable to a first structural member andthe second plate is attachable to a second structural member.
 9. Thedevice of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first or the second slideplate is translatable with respect to a corresponding first plate orsecond plate by an actuator connected between at least one of the firstslide plate or the second slide plate and one of the first plate, thesecond plate, or the third plate.
 10. The device of claim 9, wherein theactuator is a hydraulic actuator.
 11. The device of claim 9, wherein theactuator is a linear actuator.
 12. The device of claim 11, wherein thelinear actuator includes a motor.
 13. A method of protecting ormanipulating a body part, the method comprising: providing a first, asecond plate and a third plate, at least two of the first, the second orthe third plates journally connected to each other; providing a firstslide plate and a second slide plate, each slide plate adapted to beslidably mounted to a corresponding first plate or second plate;connecting at least one of the first slide plate or the second slideplate to the third plate with a hinge or flexure, wherein the a portionof the hinge or the flexure is attached to a portion of thecorresponding first slide plate or second slide plate proximal to thethird plate.
 14. The method of claim 13, further comprising: providing alinear actuator disposed between at least two of the first slide plate,the second slide plate, the first plate, the second plate, or the thirdplate, so as to permit the actuator to translate at the least the twoplates with respect to each other.